The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1887-02-02
THE MATES STORY.

HOW CHINESE PIRATES WERE REPULsED.
In 1875, owing to the wreck of Bos-
ton brig in the China Sea, was left in
Hong Kong in pretty bad shape. After
| had carried a flag of distress, as you
might say, for two weeks, an English
man offered to let me work my passage
to Liverpool, but as l was about to ac-
cept it | ran across q countryman who
had a berth for me. One of the largest
trading houses in Canton at that time
was composed of three Americans, and
they owned two small steamers and three
or four sail craft. These vessels were
employed in collecting goods from the
various islands to the southeast, and some
of the voyages extended up the Yellow
Sea as far as Teng chow. Just at that
time the firm had come into possession
of new steamer and she was about to
make her first voyage. There had been
trouble with piratical craft, and the
steamer had been fitted out to take care
of herself. She carried two six FOUNDERS
twenty American cavalry carbines, a
score of revolvers, and was fixed to
throw hot water over boarders. Her
compliment of men was fifteen, of whom
the cook, steward, and three fremen
were natives. All others were Ameri-
cans and Englishmen. The supercargo
was an American, who could rattle off
the Chinese language as we'll as the best
of 'em, and the Captain and some of the
others could ''smatter" more or less.
Our first voyage was to be up the Vel
low Sea, and we carried load of Ameri-
can and English goods. The cargo we'll
deserved the name of miscellaneous. ;"
There were muskets, fish spears, sole
feather, tinware, looking glasses, cali
Goes, buttons, stoneware, lamps, fish
nets, groceries, axes, and almost every
thing else you can think of, and the
supercargo also carried money to pur-
chase what we could not traffic for We
were to pick up in exchange whatever
foreign markets called for in Canton,
which included teas, rice, several species
of nuts, dyestuffs, roots, barks, skins,
etc.
1 was in luck to secure the place of
mate, for Captain Tabor was splendid
fellow and the crew was one which could
be depended on. We had three or four
men who understood the handling of the
six-pounders, which had been sent over
from the United States, and with the
supply of small arms at hand we felt our
selves a match for anything except a
regular gunboat We got away in good
shape, ran up between the coast aud the
Island of Formosa, and then steered to
the northeast to fetch the Lioo- Kioo
Islands which are seven or eight in num-
Der, and deal in ginseng, sarsaparilla and
other medical roots. We stopped a day
at Ke-Lung, which is at the northern end
of Formosa, and almost opposite Foo
chow, on the mainland, and while here it
was noticed that the native members of
of our crew were very thick with lot of
suspicious characters who were hanging
about us hegreatcr part Of the day. The
supercargo overheard them discussing
our voyage and making many inquiries
and when he spoke of the matter TO the
steward that pig-tailed gentleman ex-
planned tn t all our natives were related
TO the strangers who had been hanging
about, and of course the latter took an
interest in them.
didn't know Chinese character as will
as some of the others, and was therefore
somewhat surprised to hear the Captain
of the natives aboard before we had left
Ke-Lung by fifty miles. The firemen
had given the engineer trouble, and the
steward had a certain sort of impudence G
in his obedience to commands. l did
not know until now that a gang of
twenty or more of the fellows at Ke-Lung
had attempted TO induce the Captain to
give them passage to the island of
Tseeusan, which we meant to visit. They
had offered big passage money and were
willing to put up with any accommoda-
tions, but he mistrusted them, and firmly
declined to have one Of them aboard.
The steward and fremen were soundly
berated by the Captain and threatened
with irons il any more trouble occurred.
and there the matter was dropped. Al
the close of the second day we dropped
anchor off a small island 10 the south
west of Tseeusan called Rung wah
There was no harbor, Out the depth of
the water enabled us 10 get within a
cables length of the beach in a compar-
atively sheltered spot.
Captain Tabor had traded al this ISL
and year before, and he knew that the
natives were all right as long as they
were kept in awe by a superior force
There was trader on the island who
had a large stock Of roots, and after a
palaver lasting two days and nights the
supercargo finally made a bargain with
him. 1t was observed by the Captain
that some change had come over the ma
tives, for on his previous trip they had
been eager to close a bargain at any
figure named. The natives in our
crew had been permitted to go ashore,
and dozen or so OF the leading
men of the island had come aboard
and inspected US. II was night OF the
second day before a trade was agreed
upon. On the following day we were 20
BEGIN landing and receiving goods.